Welcome
Your first assignment is to meet two photographers from the middle part of the last century. The first is Victor Jorgenson. He is featured below. Victor was a photographer for U.S. Navy.
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The photograph below is titled "Kissing the War Goodbye" It was taken on Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day) on August 14th, 1945 in Times Square, New York City. It depicts a sailor kissing a women wearing a white dress or uniform. Click on it to see it bigger.
The second photographer is Life Magazine's Alfred Eisenstaedt. He is featured below.
Eisenstaedt took a photograph titled "V-J Day in Times Square" . It too was also taken on
V-J Day in Times Square at about the same moment. Click on it to see it larger.
After looking at both photos closely, think about this: although both of these photos were taken at the same event and at almost the same exact time, they are both different visually and may even have a different emotional impact on the viewer.
Write a paragraph response explaining which one you prefer. Which is a stronger photo in your opinion and WHY? Really think about it and offer reasons to support your opinion. Your response must be at least 5 sentences long.
This assignment is due Friday, September 16th. Write your response in a Word doc first, then copy it. Then click on "comment" below and paste it in the text area. You must put your name on the end of your response and choose "anonymous". Then click publish to send me your response. When I receive it I will publish it on the blog for everyone to see.
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ReplyDeleteI prefer the second photo, by Alfred Eisenstaedt. This is because you definitely know that it was taken in Times Square. That makes the story behind the image better, because it was taken at an iconic landmark. Also, the reactions on the people's faces in the background are better. You can see more of them, and they are clearer.
ReplyDelete-Elyas Masrour
Out of the two pictures, I prefer the one taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt for Life magazine. I like this one more than Jorgenson’s because the picture is taken slightly farther away, and because it has a different background. The way that you can see down the street in the background of Eisenstaedt’s photo is more visually appealing to me than the building background of Jorgenson's photo. Also, since Eisenstaedt’s picture looks like it was taken from farther away, more people were included in the background of the photo, which I like; you can see many different expressions on the faces of the people. Lastly, I think that Eisenstaedt's picture looks happier than Jorgenson's. Maybe it's because of all of the people in the background, or the angle of the shot, but I felt more emotion in Eisenstaedt's photo.
ReplyDeleteHannah Forcone
I personally like the picture Victor Jorgenson took in Times Square of the two "lovers" embracing in a fit of passion and exhilaration. I feel the angle of Jorgenson's photo greatly impacts the way you perceive the kiss, and in a way makes it more artistically meaningful. While there are two versions of the photo, Jorgenson more craftfully uses the effect of contrast to help capture the viewers eye. The difference of shading between the soldiers dark uniform, and the nurse's piercing white dress is more closely focused on, therefore creating a nicer piece of eye candy. In Alfred Eisenstaedt's photo, the buildings and the crowd behind the two lovers distract the viewer so that you don't receive the full impact of the kiss. Finally, in Jorgenson's photo, you more clearly see the reaction of a simple act of "pda" on the people around them. You can truly feel how bold the statement of a kiss was in that generation. -Corrine Gallagher
ReplyDeleteThomas Mauro
ReplyDeleteBetween the two pictures of the sailor and the nurse kissing in time square I like the one taken by Eisenstaedt titled "V-J Day in Times Square" . I like Eisenstaedt picture better because it has a better angle than the other picture. It also gets the point of the kiss across to the viewer. Eisenstaedt picture is also better looking it's less blurry and it has a better backdrop of what else is going on around the two kissing. Instead of a blurry building in the background it has the open street with people walking around them.
In my opinion the second photo is better. In the second picture, the buildings on sides of the road act as leading lines to make the people kissing stand out. Also, since the photo was taken with more background it gives you a sense of the whole story and gets you to think more. Even though in the first photo the spectators' reactions are shown more clearly, you can still see them obviously in the second picture. Overall, the second photo is better because it allows you to see the "big picture" while the first one only focuses on the movement when they kiss.
ReplyDelete- Grant Yu
Out of the two photos, I prefer the one taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt titled "V-J Day in Times Square". I like this photo better because there is more of a scenery in the background and it is more appealing to the eye. The background also makes the sailor and the nurse the focal point of the photo which I personally like. While in the other photo is seems kind of dull since there isn't much in the background to look at which doesn't seem to project the whole idea or story of this photo. I think this is a stronger photo because it catches the attention of the person looking at the picture and gives them a concept of whats going on and creates a question in their head if this was planned or completely random. All in all, I like the second picture because it leaves a picture in your mind of what life had been like back then and how one angle of a photo can simply make it more engaging. - Olivia Latour
ReplyDeleteOut of the two photos, I like Eisenstaedt’s photo much more than I like Jorgensen's photo. I think Eisenstaedt’s photo is a stronger photo because of a few reasons. One reason is that Eisenstaedt's photo has much more atmosphere than Jorgensen’s. In the background, you can really see the buildings around them in the city and the people's reactions of them kissing around them more than you can in the other photo. Another reason is Eisenstaedt’s photo is my much clearer and more infocus than Jorgensen’s photo. Also, I like how Eisenstaedt's photo is more zoomed out so you can see the whole body of the two kissing.
ReplyDeletei think that the second one taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt titled "v-j day in times square" is a lot more intriguing the the first one taken by victor Jorgenson. i like it because all eyes are on the people that are kissing. i also like that because the building in the background lead strait to the the two people and makes the two people the focal point. the first picture was also a lot more blurry than the first one
ReplyDelete-schuchman
I personally liked "Kissing the War Goodbye" better out of the two of them. The whole picture filled the space with the buildings and street, which make the picture look more appealing in my opinion. Because the sky wasn't in the picture, it gave the shot a darker shade and a better contrast. For gray scale photos, the contrast plays a big role in how the image looks. The first picture was also taken closer to the kissers. You can see them making out up close and it make the embrace more powerful. Also, because it's closer to the action, you can see the people's reactions more clearly. -Matthew Graci
ReplyDeleteI prefer the picture taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt. I think his photo has a stronger impact on the viewer. In Eisenstaedt's photo, the "eye candy" is perfectly center. Because the photo is taken a little father back, the viewer gets to see the surrounding scene and is able to get a feel of what's going on. Eisenstaedt framed his photo with the surrounding people and buildings. It makes the viewers focus their attention on the two main people. Jorgenson's photo is taken closer to the two people. It doesn't show as much background and scenery as Eisenstaedt's photo.
ReplyDelete-Allison Hamerschlag
I like the picture Eisenstaedt took more than the one Jorgenson took. One reason is because the picture is less blurry so it is easy to see the background, and you don't only see blurry buildings. The view of the second photo makes it easier to tell that it is the famous New York City. Eisenstaedt’s shot shows more light which makes the photo look more joyful. Lastly, the second photo allows you to understand the scene better, and you can see more of people’s surprised reactions.
ReplyDeleteLeo Takemaru
Out of the two photos, I like Eisenstaedt’s photo much more than I like Jorgensen's photo. I think Eisenstaedt’s photo is a stronger photo because of a few reasons. One reason is that Eisenstaedt's photo has much more atmosphere than Jorgensen’s. In the background, you can really see the buildings around them in the city and the people's reactions of them kissing around them more than you can in the other photo. Another reason is Eisenstaedt’s photo is my much clearer and more infocus than Jorgensen’s photo. Also, I like how Eisenstaedt's photo is more zoomed out so you can see the whole body of the two kissing.
ReplyDelete- Mia Thuilot
I posted a comment before but forgot to state my name
Out of both pictures I prefer the second one by Eisenstaedt. I think Eisenstaedt's picture is easier to like or enjoy for a few reasons. I like the second one because you can see their entire bodies while the first you can't. I also like seeing where they are because in the first you cant tell where they are but you can in the second. Also in Eisenstaedt's picture the picture seems more focused and have more clarity to what is happening. -Ryan Mecca The better mecca
ReplyDeleteI think that that the first image by Victor Jorgenson was more powerful. I believe that this is the case because of how close the camera is to the two people. I also found that the first image shows the shock of the people around the two people kissing. The first image also has a better background since it seems that the people are more central than just at the beginning of a road. Finally, I think that it shows the passion of the kiss better as it better shows the sailors happiness at being home since you can see his face easier in Jorgenson’s image.
ReplyDelete-Anthony Litterick
The photograph I prefer is "Kissing the War Goodbye". The focal point in this picture is much larger, and there aren't as many people, so your eye is more drawn to the couple. In the background, the buildings fill the entire screen, and there are no spaces of sky that - because the picture is black and white - don't look pretty. Instead, the buildings in "Kissing the War Goodbye", take up he entire photograph. Also, because the background is not as important, it is slightly blurred, and is slightly tilted. Overall, the focal point is bigger, there is a larger area of contrast between the larger people. "Kissing the War Goodbye" overall has better artistic motives.
ReplyDeleteOut of the two photos done by Victor Jorgenson and Alfred Einstaedt I like the second one by Einstaedt.I like the second one because of the frontal view of the sailor kissing the girl. It is clearly showing that it was the celebration of winning the war, V-J day. In Einstaedt's Photo there are all the other sailors, and people in Time Square. I like this because with all the people and events happening in the backround he was able to still put the main focus on the sailor and woman Making them the focal point of the photo. In Jorgenson;'s photo It is taken from the side and there not all the chaos in the backround and just focusede mainly on the two kissing. Although are people still happy and celebrating in the backround id doesn't give the full effect of shooting time square with the buildings and the mass of people. Overall i like Einstaeds
ReplyDeleteJason Riznis
The photograph I prefer is "Kissing the War Goodbye". The focal point in this picture is much larger, and there aren't as many people, so your eye is more drawn to the couple. In the background, the buildings fill the entire screen, and there are no spaces of sky that - because the picture is black and white - don't look pretty. Instead, the buildings in "Kissing the War Goodbye", take up he entire photograph. Also, because the background is not as important, it is slightly blurred, and is slightly tilted. Overall, the focal point is bigger, there is a larger area of contrast between the larger people. "Kissing the War Goodbye" overall has better artistic motives.
ReplyDelete-Michael Scarth
I prefer the first photo titled "kissing the war goodbye." In the first photo, there is less background, which I feel takes away from the photo. The people and extra buildings aren't necessary and distract the focus of the picture. In addition to that, I feel the white sky and her white dress look bad together, and that the darker buildings match better. The closer frame also shows more detail in the emotion and passion for each other. -kaitlin carter
ReplyDeleteI prefer the first photo titled "kissing the war goodbye." In the first photo, there is less background, which I feel takes away from the photo. The people and extra buildings aren't necessary and distract the focus of the picture. In addition to that, I feel the white sky and her white dress look bad together, and that the darker buildings match better. The closer frame also shows more detail in the emotion and passion for each other. -kaitlin carter
ReplyDeleteThe photograph I prefer is the one taken by Eisenstaedt. I like this picture better because I like how you can see the full scenery and eventfulness of Times Square. You can also see that the kiss is more of a surprise to everybody, due to their facial expressions. I also like how you can see both bodies in the picture. Overall, I feel that Eisenstaedt's photo is a better photo than Jorgensons.
ReplyDeleteKelly Ratner
I prefer the first photo titled "kissing the war goodbye." In the first photo, there is less background, which I feel takes away from the photo. The people and extra buildings aren't necessary and distract the focus of the picture. In addition to that, I feel the white sky and her white dress look bad together, and that the darker buildings match better. The closer frame also shows more detail in the emotion and passion for each other. -kaitlin carter
ReplyDeleteI prefer the second picture by Einstaedt. This picture shows much more character, between the reactions on people's faces, the clear view of Times Square and excitement on everybody's faces. In my opinion the second picture is more powerful and shows a deeper meaning. It clearly shows the expression and mood of everybody in the time square. Also, the couple is more eye catching since the picture was taken from a different angle. You can clearly see the couple and have a better view of the girl. Over all, I think that this picture is more eye catching.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Radke
In my opinion I like the second one better by Eisenstaedt. I like the second photo better because it looks more like it is at the center of times square. And the second photo looks like it has better quality and more point of view. From the view of the second photo it also looks like you can see the full scenery behind it. Also it looks like the more people are staring at the couple. Overall the second photo is just more eye catching.
ReplyDelete-Christian DelPrete
I like thesecond one by Alfred Eisenstaedt. I like it more than the first shot for two reasons. First is that its more central and and esiear to see the whole situation because the shot is backed up. The second reason is because there is more going on in the backround and gives it more color. Also i like that its esiear to see the difference between the colors of the dress that the nurse is wearing and the suit the man is waering.
ReplyDelete-Patrick Phillips
I prefer the second photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt titled "V-J Day". I liked this photograph better because it's more eye poping. I also like the scerney better you can see that they are in time square and you can see all the buildings. Another thing I liked about it was that you can see all the peoples expressions on the faces, they all look surprised. over all I like the photograph V-J day better. - Kaitlin Mecca
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the picture taken by Eisenstaedt more because, the picture is more vibrant and cheerful and matches the theme of them being at a celebration. Another thing that catches my eye is the contrast between the white nurses uniform against the veterans uniform. I enjoyed this picture, I really liked this photo,He was very lucky to find s moment like this. NICOLE ROSANO- PREIOD 5
ReplyDelete